About

Healthy Air Leeds is dedicated to raising awareness of the air pollution problem in Leeds and trying to improve the air quality for all who live, work and study here.

Healthy Air Leeds was set up in January 2017 by Rachel Hartshorne, a concerned Leeds Citizen, who wanted to do something to reduce air pollution in the city. The group consists of like-minded individuals supported by local groupswho also care about air pollution.The World Health Organisation recognised in 2016 that Leeds is amongst the worst areas of the UK for poor air quality. The biggest cause of air pollution in cities like Leeds comes from vehicle emissions, specifically diesel. These pollutants, including NOx and Particulate Matter cause respiratory, cardiac and mental health problems. However, asking the general public to give up their cars is a hard task and so we need to look at alternatives. Private electric and hybrid vehicles are a good start, but they are expensive and the infrastructure to support these is lacking in Leeds. In the meantime we need to improve public transport and protect cyclists and pedestrians.